A/N: Oopsie, nearly forgot to post this one!
Originally this story was going to be ten chapters long, and I intended to have this as the penultimate chapter showing the events of the party while the tenth one would focus on the aftermath. With how the episode ended though, I feel like a tenth chapter probably wouldn't add anything of amazing value or worth, so I decided to leave this chapter as a shorter epilogue of sorts intended to bridge the gap between the party and the next morning with Kate going to make the arrests. I hope that this decision sits well with you guys.
Lastly I'd really like to thank you all for your support. This has been the first story I've written in completion before posting, and also my first fic that really focuses in on a specific episode. I wasn't too sure how I felt about it when I posted it, particularly since a lot of this was written months ago and I have a habit of looking back at old work and absolutely hating it, so the fact that at least some of you guys have enjoyed this and taken the time to let me know means so much.
I will now shut up and let you read.
Her heart was aflutter, arrhythmia still making her breath come out in relieved pants against his cheek. For a moment there she'd really thought he was angry, that he hadn't like his surprise birthday party. Trust Castle to have inherited his mother's dramatics though.
"You really blew my mind," he murmured.
Smothering a laugh, Kate answered, "Yeah well, I figured the trickiest part would be fooling you and keep a straight face."
"Well, you win the Oscar for best pretend murder," Castle exclaimed, unable to keep the love from his voice as he levered himself around her on his crutches to grab two champagne-filled flutes for them. "I cannot believe the whole thing was staged!"
She smiled, only for the emotion to freeze and drop from her face as she was hit with a revelation.
"What?"
She spun to face him, beaming once more as she told him, "I think I just solved my case!"
Cautious, Castle's voice was pitched low as he asked hesitantly, "Does that mean you're going to go run off and arrest someone now?"
"No," Beckett answered, taking one of the champagne glasses and leaning in towards him. "Right now I've got other plans." Her lips met his grin for a short moment before she pulled back and lifted her flute aloft between them, toasting him.
He beamed, the biggest smile she'd seen from him in weeks, and she had to kiss him again, her own lips curling up over her teeth as she nipped at his lower lip. A catcall rose from the boys, a laugh and a cheer that swept through the room, breaking them apart until they were laughing too.
"Come on, birthday boy, you gotta blow out your candles and have some of this cake," Javi said, pausing from shovelling chips into his mouth just so he could get the words out. "Can't have any if you don't hurry up."
Rolling her eyes, Kate dropped Castle's hand and picked up the gas lighter from the kitchen worktop and made her way around the edge of the cake, lighting candles, as Castle hobbled over on his crutches, waiting until she was done and flames crackled at the top of each wax stick before he heaved a great breath and let it loose to the claps and cheers of his friends and family.
Only Kate mumbled, "Don't forget to make a wish."
Castle tugged her into his side, his palm wrapping around her waist to bring her into an embrace where his lips could find her ear.
"No need for that. I already have everything I could wish for."
While she nestled her head into the crook of Castle's neck, Alexis and Martha plucked the smoking candles from the cake and began cutting it. It was no surprise that Esposito grabbed the first free slice, complementing Lanie on picking up what sounded like – though it was hard to be sure – an 'excellent cake' while his mouth was still full of the sponge.
"I still don't understand how you organised all this," he mumbled between mouthfuls of the piece of cake Alexis had handed him. It was truly mindboggling. Kate shrugged, smirking because no matter how much he asked, she wouldn't be giving away her trade secrets. "I imagine my mother wanted something much-" He paused to search for the right word but before he found it Kate spoke.
"Let's just say there were a lot of ideas I had to veto," she said quietly.
"She wanted a car chase, didn't she?"
Kate clucked her tongue and shook her head.
They left the apartment, heading back across the street with a pleasant alcoholic buzz zipping through their bloodstream. Javi, Ryan and Lanie were yelling goodbyes as they clambered into the red Dodge Charger, probably a lot more sober than Rick and Kate were. The inability to sway and dance together in the soft music courtesy of Rick's crutches and immobilised knee had led to them growing a bit overzealous with how many champagne flutes they tipped back.
Alexis held the front door open for them, keeping her sigh quiet as she helped her father inside and over to the couch. He was still mumbling about how he'd had, "The. Best. Birthday. Ever," with a stupefied grin.
"You weren't easy to keep under control, Dad, but I'm glad we managed to fool you."
He chuckled. "Yeah, you guys got me good. Really thought I was going crazy for a bit."
He heard his mother cackle from the kitchen. "Payback my dear son for all the years you sent me round the twist."
He craned his neck, watched her finish pushing leftover party food into the fridge and when she was done, asked, "So, there was no retreat then, Mother?"
"You know, for a writer, Richard, you're really not all that observant," Martha told him, approaching to stand behind the sofa. "I was in the apartment two floors down the entire time." A quick pat to his cheek and she was on her way, heading up the stairs.
"I'm gonna go to bed too," Alexis said, smiling briefly before leaving just him and Kate downstairs to make their way to his bedroom.
Rousing herself from her own side of the sofa, Kate helped Castle back into the wheelchair he'd quickly abandoned earlier in the evening so he could make that hasty phone call to Ryan and Esposito before charging across the street. In their bedroom, she pulled him back up and began working at his clothes, unbuttoning his blazer and pushing it from his shoulders. His shirt followed suit until he was standing bare chested, using a grip on her shoulders instead of her shoulders to remain upright) while she unzipped his pants and eased them down his legs, working carefully around his brace.
"You're amazing, you know," he murmured, smoothing his hands over her naked shoulders. "I don't know how you even organised this and got everyone in on it, even Gates – wait, Gates? She doesn't know, does she? About us?"
"No, Castle, she doesn't know." Kate smiled softly, passed him a crutch to keep him propped up for a moment while she removed her earrings and bracelet.
"Good," Castle mumbled, yawning, as Kate struggled with getting the pins out of her hair and easing it down her back. "Wouldn't want Gates to kick me out of the precinct."
"Trust me, Castle, you're not going anywhere," Beckett replied as she helped him into the bed. "Now, wasn't there a present you wanted to unwrap?" she asked, reaching behind her back for the zip of her dress.
A/N: So, thank you everybody again for reading, for adding this story to your alerts and following it, for adding it to your favourites and most of all for reviewing and reassuring me that this wasn't totally awful. It's all much appreciated!